Stigma towards people with mental illness by healthcare providers results in disparities in help-seeking, treatment, and quality of care.... Show moreStigma towards people with mental illness by healthcare providers results in disparities in help-seeking, treatment, and quality of care. Within the health care system, professionals such as nurses and nursing students endorse negative stereotypes about people with mental illness. Using 23 nursing students this pilot study evaluated the efficacy and feasibility of a five-week manualized consumer-led mentorship program as a supplement to a mental health theory and clinical curriculum for baccalaureate nursing students. Participants completed measures on intended personal and professional behaviors, stigmatizing attitudes and affirming attitudes measures pre-intervention, post-intervention and at one-month follow-up. Feasibility measures were also completed by students, mentors and faculty members’ post-intervention. Results suggest a significant decrease in stigmatizing attitudes post intervention. The effect was maintained at one-month follow-up. There was also a significant decreased in affirming attitudes post intervention. This effect was unexpected and not maintained at one-month follow-up. Affirming attitudes significantly increased at one-month follow-up. There was no statistically significant change in intended personal and professional behaviors. Program feasibility was high for face-to-face meeting and participants were overall satisfied with the integration of the supplemental program. These findings suggest that a consumer-led mentoring program can effectively reduce mental health stigma within student nursing populations. Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2017 Show less
